“He is the founder of ISIS”, he told supporters, adding of his Democratic rival: “And I would say the co-founder is crooked Hillary Clinton”.
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Republicans have long stated that the foreign policies of Obama and his then-secretary of state Clinton share blame in helping create conditions that allowed IS to grow in Iraq and Syria. Trump stated, “He was the founder of ISIS absolutely”. He’s sharply criticised Mr. Obama for announcing he would pull US troops out of Iraq, a decision that many Obama critics say created the kind of instability in which extremist groups like the IS thrive. Hewitt tried to suggest to Trump that what he meant was that the “vacuum” created by Barack Obama and the 2011 US withdrawal from Iraq, but Trump rejected the suggestion. “We unleashed bad fury all over the Middle East”, said Trump. “He was the founder”.
In the interview with Hewitt, Trump did acknowledge the root of his argument was that if Obama “had done things property, you wouldn’t have had ISIS”. “I meant he’s the founder of ISIS”, Trump responded, saying Obama, and Hillary Clinton, deserve a “most valuable player award”.
The GOP presidential nominee has particularly attacked Obama for withdrawing US troops from Iraq after a status of forces agreement between the two countries expired, even though Trump himself called for a withdrawal of USA troops years earlier. He later adds: “Oh boy, is ISIS hoping for her”.
That remark is telling, and it illustrates something that should be obvious by now but is often lost in the noise of each new controversy that comes every time Trump says something outlandish and/or obviously untrue.
“I think it was a decision”.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks during his campaign event at the BB&T Center on August 10, 2016 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Hewitt suggested Trump hadn’t meant his statement to be taken literally, but the candidate cut him off. I know what you meant. And I give it to him, and I give it to, I gave the co-founder to Hillary. The conflict in Syria created a flawless vacuum in terms of governance, and so the civil war became an opportunity for the restoration of the organization.
HH: I’ve got two more questions.
On Wednesday night, former ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul hit Trump on the comments, saying they mimicked Russian talking points created to sow anger toward the USA and the West.
Trump’s remarks followed a troubled week for the Republican candidate in which he drew strong criticism for a persistent confrontation with the family of a Muslim American soldier who was killed in Iraq and for his initial refusal to support prominent Republican congressional candidates in their primary races.
Clinton said anyone who would “sink so low” should never be president of the United States. “I said it was going to destabilize the Middle East”.
“Whatever you can do, I appreciate it”, he said.
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An image grab taken from a video released on July 5, 2014 by Al-Furqan Media shows alleged Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi preaching during Friday prayer at a mosque in Mosul. I don’t know if you heard that.
